


Back To You

by youngandbitchy



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, Angst and Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers Friendship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Reader-Insert, Romantic Fluff, Self-Insert, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson Friendship, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Tumblr: young-and-bitchy, cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 06:34:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16907967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youngandbitchy/pseuds/youngandbitchy





	Back To You

The night the Avengers returned to the compound should’ve been a good one, with champagne bubbles on the floor and leftover canapés. And for the most part it was… until Steve tried to talk to you as you trained, everyone else passed out in the living room.

“Good morning,” he greeted you.

You’d never seen him in that look: the beard, the hair, the muscle. It reminded you of the first days when you fell for him, his body being a factor in your dreams. He was wearing gym clothes as well.

“They’re not good anymore,” you replied, still punching the bag in front of you.

 **Strike one**. Steve was heartbroken. Your treatment towards him threw him off. The only times you’d been rude to him during your relationship was when you felt bad or were in a bad place, and he could always see through you… but this time was different.

“I want to talk, (Y/N).”

“Then go to Natasha or Sam because I don’t.”

“I want to talk to you about us.”

You stopped for a moment. “There’s no us.”

 **Strike two**. “I’m sorry.”

This time, you did stop. “For what part?” You asked, taking off the bandages of your hands. “The part where you run off to Wakanda and leave me behind? Where you… don’t call or text for two years? Where you don’t say goodbye?”

“I… I left a letter.”

You snorted. “So, as your girlfriend, I have to settle for a letter.”

“I said I was sorry.”

“This is not something you fix with an  **I’m sorry** , Steve!” You exclaimed, losing your temper. “Look, I was on your side, okay? During the Accords, I also thought the Avengers should’ve had the right to act when and where they wanted to, but then it became personal. For you, for Tony, for Bucky.”

“We didn’t make it personal, Zemo did!”

“Then what about you leaving me, huh? You did it for Bucky, and I completely get it. In fact, I don’t blame the guy because he didn’t make the decision for you. We could’ve come up with a thousand different solutions, a thousand ways to see each other… Wanda and Vision did, but you decided to give up on us.”

“It was the life of a runaway, (Y/N). It wasn’t the relationship I wanted for us.”

“And you decided that for me,” you counterattacked. “We, the partners that always consulted each other, that  _trusted_  each other, and you decided to take my voice in the relationship with you. You didn’t care.”

“Of course I cared, (Y/N). I still do. I didn’t want that for you—”

“It wasn’t your choice to make,” you cut him off. You were way past sadness. Now? Now you were angry. So angry at him. He could see it through your eyes, through the veins on your neck and the redness of your cheeks. “There’s no us, Steven. You threw that out the window when you decided to run away from me.”

You walked out of the gym, clenched fists, clenched jaw and your nails digging in your palms. And standing there alone as a whirlwind of guilt, sorrow and pain wrecked his soul, he realised… you had never called him Steven.

Fast forward to six months later, people gathered around at the parking lot of the compound, putting pool chairs and snacks on their cars. Tony had planned a tour for the Guardians, Quill especially excited about it. There were five people in the car you were going: Bucky, Sam, Mantis, Steve and you.

Things with Steve were… regular. During the first weeks you couldn’t look at him, and it took you time to be around him without swallowing a lump on your throat. Time did its job, and now you could train together and drink coffee in the mornings.

Nothing too extreme.

“Mantis, have you tried Doritos?” You asked her.

“No,” she said.

You turned around on your seat. You were sitting on the passenger side, Steve driving. The others were in the back.

“Give it a go,” you told her.

Mantis’ predominant expression was a frown, but when she tried the first Dorito her eyes widened, a gasp came out of her mouth and she took the bag from you, eating with passion.

“Easy, girl,” Sam said, but she didn’t listen.

Bucky smiled. “Yeah. Unless you have extreme tolerance for cheese and processed foods, you’ll puke.” Mantis stopped, looking at you with a sad face.

You sighed. “I’ll tell you when to stop.”

She smiled and returned to the Doritos. You sat back, facing the road ahead of you. You pulled out your phone and synchronised it with the car’s radio.

“You guys mind if I put some music?” You asked.

“No Taylor Swift, please!” Sam requested.

“What? Still can’t shake her off?” Bucky asked and you smiled.

“It’s not a full Earth experience without Tay-Tay, Sam, but… I want to play another gem for Mantis right now.”

You chose the song and Sam and Bucky rioted. “Yes!”

[Remember the Name by Fort Minor](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DVDvr08sCPOc&t=MDA5Mjc0YzJkZDFiMGRiNGRiMWQyOWE0ZDk4OTczMDJlYjA5ZDhhYiwwMEU1ZHZyYw%3D%3D&b=t%3Ai7ec5ht9Yhqf5wh3D04ZwA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fyoung-and-bitchy.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F180415773172%2Fback-to-you-steve-rogers-x-reader&m=1) was a song the three of you had played together a long time ago, and it was so good you learned it all in one night. Steve had gone on a mission that day, so he didn’t know.

The three of you rapped through the entire song, Steve being clearly shocked but amused. You were rapping smoothly, and you laughed to yourself when you stumbled on a word. Mantis was dancing to the rhythm, her hands filled with cheese.

It was safe to say Steve was having the time of his life.

“Man, we still fucking kill that song!” Sam exclaimed.

“It’s so good,” Bucky commented.

Steve chuckled. “What?” You asked.

“Nothing, just… I’d never heard you rap like that…”

“Yeah, well…” You trailed off and shrugged.

You went and played a Taylor Swift song. Sam grunted, but as soon as the lyrics started, he was singing.

For the next hour and a half, people sang along to the songs. Some even Steve already knew, more caught up to popular culture than when you were together.

When [Classic by MKTO](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DAWgDP8PQWRY&t=YmNhMzA0OGM4MDBiZTNiNjUyYjhlODExNDFjY2FkODFiN2U0YTViNCwwMEU1ZHZyYw%3D%3D&b=t%3Ai7ec5ht9Yhqf5wh3D04ZwA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fyoung-and-bitchy.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F180415773172%2Fback-to-you-steve-rogers-x-reader&m=1) began playing and Sam recognised it, you skipped it. Steve held on harder to the wheel and you could swear you heard him gulp.

“Why?!” Sam complained for a second until he sang along to the next one.

Classic was one of yours and Steve’s songs. In fact, back in the day you had a whole playlist, filled with love songs of every kind: jazz, slow, blues, poppy.

You still kept it.

“Mantis, tell me; what’s going on between you and Drax?”

Mantis frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Are you into him?”

“Into him?”

“She means if you have romantic feelings for Drax,” Bucky cleared out.

“No! I have romantic feelings for Nebula!”

And the widest smile spread across your face. For the rest of the ride till the first stop to sleep, you advised Mantis on how to act on her emotions, the boys interceding a bit too.

“Be there for her when she needs it, you know? If you see she’s on edge… And… what else?”

“Respect her,” Steve spoke and you looked at him. “Respect her decisions and her voice. Believe me, I didn’t do that once… and I paid the price.“

You gulped, the environment shifting from cheerful to tense. Bucky and Sam stared at each other with wide eyes. “Yeah,” you nodded. “That’s important.”

* * *

It was a hot night. Tony had arranged rooms in a hotel he knew on the way… he knew a lot, so he had you covered until you got to Cali.

After dinner, you went to the pool area. There was no other soul there but yours, and the cloudless sky allowed you to see the stars with clarity.

Steve saw you. You were sitting on a pool chair, barefoot, wearing the same clothes you have left New York with: some shorts and a top. Still as breathtaking as always.

“Good evening,” he said.

You looked on his direction. He’d come from behind you and now stood by your side, his hands inside his pockets.

“Hey,” you replied.

“Can I…?” He pointed to the chair next to you.

He didn’t have to ask you. “Yeah, sure.”

The area remained silent for a while, but it wasn’t awkward this time. It was familiar and comfortable.

“ _Déjà vu_ ,” you said and Steve looked at you. “Our first date went a little like this, remember?”

“I wouldn’t forget.”

“You’d bought me tacos. I was so nervous.”

“You were?” He asked. “I thought that was me.”

“Oh, no. You were a wreck. That’s what made me relax. And when we danced… God, your hands were so shaky.”

“May I request for a do-over?” You knew he was kidding, but either way you got up and stretched your hand towards him. “I was…”

“I know,” you cut him off.

He bit his lower lip and took your hand. Your hand was so small in his, so warm, so right. They’d always been rough. He was a fighter and in constant training, but you’d never minded that.

He put his hands on your waist and yours went to the back of his neck, intertwined with each other. You’d forgotten his scent: his strong perfume and the oranges he’d eaten on the road.

He wasn’t the same man you’d fallen in love with. He’d been through so much, and you could see it in his yes.

And so had you. But still you’d fallen for this version, and you’d fall for any other… it was Steve. Your Steve.

“Your hands are still shaky,” you whispered.

“I can’t help it. You make me nervous,” he confessed. You sighed. “I’m sorry for not letting you have a say in what happened to our relationship.”

“You were doing what you thought was right for me.”

“But you’re the one who knew that better than I did. I just… I didn’t want you to give this life up.”

“That wasn’t your call to make,” you replied. “The sacrifices I do and the reasons I do them are my problem.”

“I know,” he said. “And I’m sorry for not realizing sooner.”

You nodded. “I forgive you… but you gotta promise me nothing like this will happen again.”

Steve arched his eyebrows. “Again? Does… does this mean you want to get back together?”

“Yeah, just… I want to take things slow this time around.”

Steve nodded. “Whatever you want.”

And you slow-danced the night away to the sound of the leaves falling from the trees.

Steve repressed the need of saying  **I love you** , but it was okay. He’d have plenty of time to say it, because he would do anything it took to keep you by his side for as long as he lived.


End file.
